Franken-Lies-And-the-Lying-Liars-Who-Tell

"Oh, really? What?"
"Every day, Hannity goes after Democrats if they make even the mildest criticism of
Bush. He says they're `undermining the commander in chief while our men and women are in
harm's way.
"Yeah," Alan nodded.
"Well, I did a Nexis on your show during Kosovo. And every day during Kosovo,
Hannity was saying things a hundred times worse about Clinton than any Democrat has said
about Bush. He said, 'Clinton can't be trusted. He's not following his advisors. He's doing a
terrible job.' At one point he even said, `We're running out of ammunition."'
"That's interesting." Alan nodded.
"Interesting?"
"Yeah. I'll look it up."
"Look it up? You're going to use it, right?"
"Well, that's not the format of our show."
"Not the format of your show?"
"We don't go after each other. We go after the guests."
"But if he keeps repeating something so blatantly hypocritical, why can't—"
"That's not the format of our show."
"Look. I watch your show. Over and over Hannity keeps saying that ninety million
Americans are going to get a thousand-dollar tax cut."
"And I've corrected him on that," Alan said.
"Yeah, once in a while—five minutes after he lies, you say something about how
that's an average, not a typical family. But then the next day he says it again. Can you at least
talk to him after the show, and tell him to stop?"
"Well, we don't really—that's not. . .
The format of their relationship.
I understood for the first time the genius of their format. Hannity, a right-wing propagandist,
gets to lie and distort show after show, and Colmes, a moderate milquetoast who
doesn't lie and distort, is not allowed to call him on it. Perfect.
"So, basically, you're laying down," I said.